Clinique Exfoliating Scrub for mature skin
Salicylic Acid
Glyceryl Stearate
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Hexylene Glycol
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Low
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for mature skin; the exfoliants alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your normal skin, as salicylic acid aids in smoothing texture and providing mild resurfacing benefits for wrinkles and fine lines. The formula lacks sufficient humectant and emollient ingredients, which could lead to suboptimal hydration and barrier support over time.
- Menthol provides a cooling sensation that may be pleasant for normal skin, but it does not significantly enhance the product's primary exfoliating function.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product in your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well. Always apply SPF the next morning to protect your skin.
- Apply this exfoliant product after cleansing and toner, but before your moisturizer. This ensures the best absorption into your skin.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant product into your face, avoiding any rubbing. Let it absorb for a minute before moving to the next step.
- Apply this exfoliant product on completely dry skin to get the best results. This helps your normal skin accept the product smoothly.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area while using this exfoliant product. Do a patch test before your first use and avoid mixing it with strong acids.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this water-based, mentholated scrub is highly effective for users with oily and combination-oily skin, providing a deep exfoliation that instantly smooths texture and clears clogged pores, leading to reduced oiliness and fewer breakouts. Some users find the scrub too abrasive for sensitive or dry skin types, and the thick consistency can make it difficult to dispense.
Highlights
Clears pores and oil Often Mentioned
- “unclogs pores”
- “great for oily skin”
- “keeps blackheads away”
- “controls excess oil”
- “prevents breakouts”
Polishes and smooths Often Mentioned
- “skin feels squeaky clean”
- “instantly smoother texture”
- “removes dead skin”
- “polished feel”
- “glass-like finish”
Difficult to dispense Often Mentioned
- “hard to squeeze”
- “tube is stiff”
- “product is too thick”
- “struggle to get out”
- “packaging design flaw”
Cooling sensation Sometimes Noted
- “cooling menthol feel”
- “wakes me up”
- “feels refreshing”
- “tingly sensation”
- “cools down skin”
Efficient and long-lasting Sometimes Noted
- “little goes a long way”
- “tube lasts for months”
- “worth the price”
- “pea-sized amount needed”
- “good value”
Too harsh for some Sometimes Noted
- “too abrasive”
- “feels like sand”
- “scratched my skin”
- “not for sensitive skin”
- “drying if used daily”
Strong scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is overpowering”
- “too minty”
- “eyes water from fumes”
- “strong chemical smell”
- “dislike the menthol”
Thick texture Rarely Noted
- “very thick paste”
- “hard to spread”
- “dry consistency”
- “needs lots of water”
- “chalky texture”
Sources: lovi.care, macys.com, ulta.com, sephora.com, makeupalley.com, lookfantastic.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Clinique Exfoliating Scrub a weak match for mature skin?
Clinique Exfoliating Scrub is a weak match for mature skin because it lacks sufficient moisturizing and skin-softening ingredients, which could lead to dryness and weak barrier support over time. An exfoliant for mature skin needs effective smoothing ingredients for fine lines along with plenty of hydrating and nourishing components to keep the skin comfortable.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a poor fit for mature skin?
Salicylic acid aids in smoothing texture and wrinkles, but this exfoliant lacks the hydrating and nourishing ingredients that mature skin needs to stay comfortable and well-supported.
What does Salicylic Acid do for mature skin?
Salicylic acid helps smooth and firm mature skin by boosting collagen and elasticity while reducing roughness and wrinkles. It is unlikely to cause irritation when used correctly, but this skin type also needs extra hydrating ingredients to stay soft and plump.
What does Glyceryl Stearate do for mature skin?
Glyceryl Stearate helps keep mature skin feeling soft and smooth by locking in moisture and preventing dryness. It also helps the skin barrier stay strong and protected against daily irritation.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This exfoliant goes into a routine for mature skin as a weekly step, starting once a week and used more often only if tolerated well. Because mature skin needs extra hydration and barrier support, this product type also requires nourishing ingredients and moisturizers to keep the skin soft and smooth.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
Using this scrub with retinol is a weak match for mature skin because it may lead to dryness and irritation. This type of skin needs gentle exfoliants combined with deeply hydrating ingredients and barrier-supporting moisturizers when using strong active ingredients.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
This exfoliant is a weak match for mature skin, so it needs extra hydrating and soothing ingredients to keep the skin comfortable. Lovi routines start exfoliating steps once a week, and people who tolerate them well and see good results can carefully use them more often.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This scrub is unlikely to clog pores, but its physical scrubbing particles and salicylic acid may feel too harsh for mature skin and lead to dryness or irritation over time. A product for this skin needs gentle smoothing ingredients along with rich hydrating and softening agents to keep the skin barrier comfortable.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Cooling skin temperature or applying topical menthol reduced histamine-induced itch intensity and flare diameters in healthy male volunteers.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995Topical 30% l-menthol decreased cold pain thresholds and enhanced pain responses to suprathreshold noxious cold stimuli without affecting other stimuli in 39 healthy subjects compared to ethanol control.
Pain, 2006Topical high-concentration L-menthol consistently induces cold pain threshold elevation and increased supra-threshold cold pain sensitivity in healthy volunteers, and successfully establishes cold allodynia or hyperalgesia in animals, serving as a predictable surrogate model.
European Journal of Pain, 2014Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyethylene, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Oleamido Mipa-Sulfosuccinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Salicylic Acid, Menthol, Stearamidoethyl Diethylamine, Oleamide Mipa, Trisodium Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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